The Age of the Global Positioning System (GPS)

For those of you who are over the age of 60, you probably remember the launch of the first satellite. The name of the satellite was Sputnik. The launch of Sputnik changed history. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik on October 4, 1957. Sputnik was about the size of a beach ball. Who would have ever dreamed of the progress that has been made in satellite technology since that day in 1957?

A Global Positioning System (GPS) is a receiver that works by receiving radio signals from multiple satellites and calculating its position from the information received. The most important point is that a GPS is a receiving unit; it only receives information and does not transmit information to the satellites. It is used by the military and the general public alike. The days of having to rely on a map for directions are long gone. For the general public, it’s a big step up from the one-dimensional, non-interactive maps that so many people find difficult to read and follow. It is amazing how many different models and brands of GPS are available to the public.

I just bought my first GPS which blew me away with its functionality, especially providing verbal instructions from point A to point B. I read the instructions and it was up and running in about 20 minutes. I bought a bracket that I attached to the dash that holds the GPS mounted. As expected, I typed my first location into the GPS’s touch-sensitive keyboard and began my journey to my destination. The spoken directions and picture of the road and the actual direction the car should be traveling was absolutely wonderful. There is a colored line on the screen that shows the correct direction of travel. When you veer off course, you go off the colored line. If you drive in the wrong direction, the GPS will recalculate the route and keep you on track.

Before purchasing a system, you’ll want to see how easy a system is to use. If you find a system too complicated to use, you will never be able to operate it inside your vehicle, especially when you are driving. Nothing is more dangerous than trying to program your GPS system with one hand on the wheel. Try to find one that you can easily use and that can be programmed with just a few button presses. A GPS system with a large screen is also important. If you find the screen too small or the directions too complicated, this won’t be an easy-to-use GPS system and you’ll want to look elsewhere.

A GPS car navigation system can provide you with all the information you need to get to your destinations quickly and easily, with a minimum of hassle and avoiding any traffic problems. Mounted or handheld GPS systems are great assets to your sanity!